BioShock Infinite
BioShock Infinite is the third game in the BioShock series. Announced on August 12, 2010, it is Irrational Games' newest project,"Interview with BioShock Infinite Lead Artist Shawn Robertson" article by Mike Sharkey at GameSpy.com slated for release on March 26th, 2013."The world is about to change for BioShock Infinite fans." post on the Irrational Games blog"A Message From Ken Levine" post on the Irrational Games blog BioShock Infinite is not a direct sequel/prequel to any of the previous BioShock games, and it takes place in an entirely different setting, although it shares similar features, gameplay and concepts with the previous games. __TOC__ Plot The game is set in 1912 and takes place in the airborne city of Columbia, where the player assumes the role of Booker DeWitt, a disgraced Pinkerton agent.Pinkerton National Detective Agency on Wikipedia. Booker has been given the job of finding a woman named Elizabeth in Columbia, who has been confined by a hulking beast called Songbird."BioShock Infinite announced" article by Wesley Yin-Poole on EuroGamer.net Following in the footsteps of previous BioShock games, the world of Infinite explores the chaos that results when strong ideals are taken to the extreme. At the time of DeWitt's arrival, Columbia is a hotbed of ultra-nationalism, specifically American exceptionalism, as shown by the copious numbers of flags, patriotic music, and propaganda posters that boldfacedly spurn the idea that the Columbia could be a 'haven' from the so-called 'unwanted' of the world. Gameplay Infinite features a range of environments that will force the player to adapt, with different weapons and strategies for each situation. Interior spaces will feature close combat with enemies, but unlike previous games set in Rapture, the setting of Infinite contains open spaces with emphasis on sniping and ranged combat against as many as fifteen enemies at once. Combat will also take place while the player is traveling at great speed along the Sky-Lines, a major transport system of Columbia."BioShock Infinite for PS3: Gameplay Q&A with Ken Levine, New Screens" article by Sid Shuman at Playstation.blog Booker gains powers and abilities by using Vigors and Nostrums that are found throughout Columbia. Unlike previous BioShock games in which players could use Gene Banks to alter their current loadout of Plasmids and Tonics, the choice to imbibe a certain Vigor or Nostrum is permanent and cannot be changed later in the game, placing emphasis on the consequences of the player's choices. Vigors grant active powers such as telekinesis, electricity manipulation, or animal control (exemplified by Murder of Crows). Each Vigor bottle contains a limited number of charges when the player picks it up, and while more can be found around the game's environment, Booker can only carry a limited number of Vigors with him at a time, with more powerful Vigors containing fewer charges. Nostrums are passive abilities that can improve the player's strength or damage resistance. These come in two types, stable and unstable varieties, the latter referred to as "Pot Lucks". Stable nostrums are more expensive, but the player knows exactly what effect applying the nostrum will gain them. Unstable nostrums are cheaper or can be found lying around the environment, but upon use, require the player to select one of three effects to alter their character. Once DeWitt has found Elizabeth, she will accompany the player at various points in the game. Elizabeth has her own set of abilities complimentary to Dewitt's, and can combine them with his for unique and powerful attacks. An example is where Elizabeth creates a rain cloud and the player uses a lightning attack. Elizabeth also has the ability to open up Tears to create cover, ammunition, or other useful objects during combat."BioShock Infinite preview: Tears in the Sky-line" article by Christopher Grant at Joystiq.com The player will not be able to directly control Elizabeth, but instead she will react to the player and the current situation. However, using Elizabeth's abilities also has consequences, draining her of strength and possibly harming her. Infinite features several varieties of enemies. These range from seemingly average humans with weapons, to the iconic Handyman seen in trailers. Unlike the previous BioShock games, many enemies will not attack on sight, but instead will remain neutral to DeWitt unless the player performs an action that causes them to become hostile. Other powerful opponents, such as the Handyman, can act as leaders for other enemies, augmenting their abilities. The most powerful enemy in the game, known as Songbird, is the most feared creature in all of Columbia, but his bond with Elizabeth prevents Booker from fighting Songbird without damaging his relationship with her. On January 12, 2012, Irrational Games announced the 1999 gameplay mode, which is designed to make the game more challenging for hardcore players. In the 1999 mode, players are forced to make permanent and critical choices to the development of their character. Through these choices, players must specialize in specific playstyles, rendering other alternatives ineffective in the process.mode" article by i.g eduardo at http://irrationalgames.com Collector Editions Premium Edition BioShock Infinite Premium Edition is planned the game. It will cost $79.99. ;This edition will include : * The Art of BioShock Infinite mini art book, including art and comments by the developers, and a hand-distressed cover. * An exclusive 25 millimeter Handyman figure from the upcoming board game BioShock Infinite: The Siege of Columbia - being created by Plaid Hat Games. * A 5 x 7 lithograph of an advertisement for the vigor Devil's Kiss. * 3-inch Murder of Crows vigor bottle keychain. * Digital soundtrack exclusive to the editions, featuring music from the game. * Three exclusive ingame Gear power-ups: ** Bull Rush: Melee strikes from a sprint have a chance to knock the enemy down. ** Extra! Extra!: Audio logs also grant a bounty of “Silver Eagles” — in-game currency. ** Betrayer: Killing your possessed enemies causes them to explode in a fireball that deals damage. * Platform-specific Downloadable Content: ** Xbox 360: Booker DeWitt and Elizabeth Avatar Costumes. *** Booker's Avatar Costume will feature a fedora, blue tinted goggles, a jacket, and high boots.Early Ultimate Songbird Edition picture. ** PC and PlayStation 3: BioShock Infinite Themes (Backgrounds, icons, etc.). Ultimate Songbird Edition This edition includes all of the above, as well as a Songbird statue. It will cost $149.99. The statue is a "highly detailed, hand painted, resin-cast 9.75" statue" which is packaged in its own collectible packaging. File:BioShockInfiniteEditionReveal1.jpg|First section of the image revealed. File:BioShockInfiniteEditionReveal2.jpg|Second. File:BioShockInfiniteEditionReveal3.jpg|Third. Main Characters *Booker DeWitt *Daisy Fitzroy *Elizabeth *The Songbird *Zachary Hale Comstock Enemies *Boy of Silence *Handyman *Motorized Patriot *Siren BioShock Infinite Weapons *China Broom *Triple R *Broadsider *Barnstormer *Sky-Hook *Huntsman *Pepper-Mill *Paddywhacker *Bird's Eyes Vigors *Bucking Bronco *Murder of Crows *Weapon Slave *Shock Jockey *Devil's Kiss *Possession Gear *Handyman Nemesis *Fleet Feet *Sugar Rush *Extra! Extra! *Bull Rush *Betrayer Locations *Battleship Bay (contains Battleship Bay (the beach), Fink Theatre, a Payton L. Easter & Sons' stable for visitors' Automated Stallions, an as-of-yet unnamed amusement park featuring a roller coaster and a large Ferris wheel, many food services, and an exhibition center) *Finkton (contains lower-class apartments/slums and the Fink Factory/Shipping Docks complex. Part of this district was detached from Columbia in 1901 due to a fire that may or may not have been intentionally started by the Founders) *Emporia Heights (contains Emporia Towers Luxury Apartment Homes, central terminal of Columbia Transit, headquarters of the Columbia Post Office, and Zachary Hale "Father" Comstock's house) *Founders Circle (contains the Hall of Heroes museum, the First Lady's Aerodrome and Monument Island); note: this area has not been officially named Founders' Circle, but has been referred to as such in discussions concerning level development. BioShock Infinite: Industrial Revolution BioShock Infinite: Industrial Revolution is a flash game provided to those who pre-order BioShock Infinite. It can be used to unlock exclusive ingame content.Official BioShock Infinite: Industrial Revolution Information Thread and F.A.Q. on 2K Games Forum. Development Prior to its announcement on August 12, 2010, Irrational Games had used the moniker "Project Icarus" to describe their next game, creating a teaser site in late July 2010."Teaser Site For Irrational Games' "Project Icarus" Goes Live" article by Jake Gaskill at G4TV.com Over the weeks leading to the announcement, the animation on the teaser site slowly built up to an animated infinity symbol on the day prior to the announcement."Irrational's 'Project Icarus' Revealed Tomorrow" article by Xav de Matos at Shacknews.com Employees of Irrational Games later revealed that the moniker "Icarus" began as an internal codename for the project, used in email correspondence etc, to avoid any leaks about the nature of the game."BioShock Infinite – Ken Levine Interview Feature" article by Keri Allan at TotalVideoGames.com Irrational had been working in secrecy on Infinite for two and a half years since completing the original BioShock."Interview – Irrational Games’ Ken Levine" article by Stephen Nunneley at VG247.com The original BioShock engine, a modified Unreal Engine 2.x, was inadequate to support the game mechanics of the new game, thus the development team chose to work with Unreal Engine 3, modifying it with their own lighting engine and means to simulate the movement and buoyancy of the buildings in Columbia. Because of this, all of the assets for BioShock Infinite had to be made from scratch."BioShock Infinite Interview: Irrational's Director of Product Development, Timothy Gerritsen" article by Xav de Matos at Shacknews.com In March of 2012, the initial release date of BioShock Infinite for PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 was announced to be October 16 of that year."BioShock Infinite Release Date Announced!" article on the Irrational Games blog However, on May 9, 2012 the release date was delayed to February 26, 2013 in order for Irrational Games to add some "specific tweaks and improvements." On December 7, 2012, the game was delayed yet again to March 26th "in order to give the team a few more weeks of this polish." This new engine and technology allows the buildings to work dynamically from any scripted events. They float on their own and can be affected by changes in weather and such without assigned fashion. During a demo, a bell tower tilted over and collapsed, with the bell breaking off and sliding to a stop right at the players feet. This entire event was unscripted, and was generated by the combination of the physics engine and the in-game weather system.Game Informer #210, October 2010, Pages 51: Building On Thin Air panel states this event to be unintended. Videos File:Ken Levine on Reinventing BioShock Infinite|Ken Levine on Reinventing BioShock Infinite File:BioShock Infinite Premiere Trailer|''BioShock Infinite'' Debut Trailer, released August 12, 2010. File:BioShock Infinite Early Gameplay Demonstration|''BioShock Infinite'' Gamescom 2010 Gameplay Trailer, released September 21 on Xbox LIVE and Xbox.com, and September 22 elsewhere online. "Ten Things You Should Know About BioShock Infinite: Day 1" article by Chris Remo at IrrationalGames.com BioShock Infinite won Game of the Show and Best Xbox 360 Game by IGN at Gamescom 2010."Gamescom: BioShock Infinite Wins Game of Show" article by Martin Robinson at IGN.com"BioShock Infinite wins IGN’s Game of Show at Gamescom 2010" article by Collin Moore at IrrationalGames.com File:BioShock Infinite E3 2011 Gameplay Demonstration|''BioShock Infinite'' E3 2011 Gameplay Trailer File:VGA 2011 BioShock Infinite Exclusive Trailer|''BioShock Infinite'' Video Game Award 2011 Trailer Gallery Behind the Scenes *Ken Levine revealed in an interview with Gamasutra that the plot's conflict would have been originally about tech geeks against luddites, those who resist the proliferation of technology.BioShock Infinite's Strong Moments, Best Moments from Gamasutra *The previous site for BioShock Infinite was WhatIsIcarus.com.WhatIsIcarus.com *One scene from the trailer has "Revenge of the Jedi" playing in the theater. This is reference to the original name for Star Wars Episode VI. The name wasn't changed until a few weeks before the movie's premiere, after quite a lot of promotional material was released. *This is the first BioShock game to feature a speaking protagonist. References es:BioShock Infinite Category:BioShock Infinite